Danielle Treharne | BIMA

I have always had a passion for driving positive social impact through sustainable business. Starting my career in strategy consulting at Javelin Group, I supported blue-chip and private equity clients including M&S, Gucci Group, Bridgepoint, and Galeries Lafayette, working across Europe, Ukraine, Turkey and the US. Through this work, I became convinced of the fundamental need for customer-centricity to be at the core of a company’s DNA; in order to have a sustainable operation, businesses must continuously question whether they are serving – and delighting – their customers.

Wishing to combine commercial acumen with positive social change, I moved to DR Congo at the age of 28 to run the largest UK government-funded programme of its kind; through Project Élan, we worked within six sectors of the Congolese economy, ultimately driving sustainable change for over 1 million low-income Congolese people.

In Uganda, I was the first BIMA employee on the ground, setting up the mobile phone-delivered health and life microinsurance business from scratch, and responsible for its entire legal and operational setup. Over the subsequent two years, I scaled the operation to a headcount of ninety young Ugandans, and ensured that hundreds of our customers’ claims were paid, supporting them in their time of need.

I am now Business Development Manager for Africa, responsible for growing our geographical footprint and bring financial protection to previously under-served customers across the African continent.

I hold a First Class BA (Hons) in Modern Languages (French, Italian) from The University of Oxford.